When Did the Church Begin?

Christmas will be here in less than two weeks, and some of us will be sitting around the table with assorted family and friends who think Christianity is some sort of fairy tale, a fraud perpetrated on simple, illiterate, and naïve followers two thousand years ago.  So, maybe it would be good to brush up on some of the facts to present to these skeptics. 

Did Jesus exist, and did He rise from the dead?  While some are educated well enough to know there was a historical figure named Jesus who walked the earth back around 30 or 40 a.d., some will deny He even existed at all.  Well, Jesus is mentioned by such early historians as these:

Flavius Josephesus (37-100 a.d.) who mentions Jesus as a teacher and even speaks of His brother, James. 

Tacitus (56-120 a.d.) who speaks of Jesus’ execution. 

Pliny the Younger (61-113 a.d.) who confirms the worship of Jesus as a common Christian practice.

These three are especially important since they are non-Christian historians and wrote within the lives of the apostles or their followers and could have been checked and denied if incorrect.

Then there is a near-consensus of well-known and respected modern secular Greek New Testament scholars as well who believe at least seven of  Paul’s letters are genuine.  Here are ten:

1. Bart D. Ehrman (agnostic / atheist-leaning, Greek textual critic)
2. Gerd Lüdemann (atheist, German Greek scholar)
3. Paula Fredriksen (Jewish historian, secular)
4. E. P. Sanders (secular historical scholar)
5. James D. G. Dunn (critical scholar; widely used in secular universities)
6. Maurice Casey (atheist, Aramaic & Greek specialist)
7. Raymond E. Brown (critical scholar, non-evangelical)
8. Dale C. Allison Jr. (critical historian)
9. Martin Hengel (critical historian, Greek philologist)
10. Larry Hurtado (critical scholar of early Christianity)

.  “Genuine” here means: written in the 1st century, substantially authentic texts (what Paul actually wrote and not medieval forgeries), and—where applicable—authored by the traditionally named author (Paul).  It does not mean inspired, miraculous, or theologically true.  These are the seven books:

• Romans
• 1 Corinthians
• 2 Corinthians
• Galatians
• Philippians
• 1 Thessalonians
• Philemon

The book of Galatians is of particular importance in that it speaks of Paul going to Jerusalem three years after his conversion to compare notes with Peter for a couple of weeks (Gal. 1:18).  Then Paul began his missionary journeys.  In the same book, Paul tells us he returned 14 years later to compare what he was teaching to make sure it was still consistent with the gospel Jesus had taught (Gal. 2:1-2).  Paul recorded in another of his books, which is considered genuine, exactly what he was teaching during those 14 years:

1 Cor. 15:3-8 (ESV)  For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, ⁴ that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, ⁵ and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. ⁶ Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. ⁷ Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. ⁸ Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.

Most historians believe Paul was converted about three years after the crucifixion of Jesus.  Since he waited three years in personal study and preaching before meeting with Peter, that would make his first visit just six years after the crucifixion, not enough time for a legend to develop.  There were too many people still living who were aware of the truth, and the teaching of Peter was being done in the very city where Jesus was crucified.

Consider this: It’s 1969, and you’re in Houston, Texas, and someone comes to you and says he is starting the Church of the Risen John F. Kennedy.  You would laugh him to scorn because the whole idea was silly.  We saw JFK die and buried.  We can go to the tomb and show you he’s still there.  The whole city knows this.

Now, it’s 39 a.d., and you’re in Jerusalem.  One of Jesus’ followers comes to you and says Jesus of Nazareth was crucified.  This isn’t news.  The whole city was aware of this.  But then the man takes you to the empty tomb and introduces you to over 500 men who saw Him risen from the dead many of whom saw Him do miracles while He walked the earth.  Maybe you could even meet Lazarus and his family and listen to their story.  That’s how the church started, but it started even earlier than that (Acts chapter 2).

I’d like to make one more point.  We’ve pretty much settled that Paul met with Peter in Jerusalem only about six years after the crucifixion of Jesus.  Look at Galatians again and what had happened during the six years:

²¹ Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. ²² And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. ²³ They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” ²⁴ And they glorified God because of me.

Within those six years, there were already churches outside of Jerusalem in Judea. 

So, here is some evidence which can be presented to the skeptics at your Christmas dinner – or anywhere, for that matter.  The Church began at Pentecost, and Peter and Paul taught Jesus rose from the dead. God has not left us with a blind faith but with a faith founded on fact.